Nautical velocipede.



No. 858,093. PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

J; H. MITCHELL.

NAUTIGAL VELOGIPEDE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. '1. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET L No. 858,093. PATENTED JUNE 25. 1907; J. H. MITCHELL.

NAUTICAL VELOGIPBDE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 7. 1906.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WWW. yaw w m No. 858,093. P'ATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

-J. H. MITCHELL.- NAUTIGALNELOGIPEDE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. '7, 1906.

a sums-SHEET '3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H'. MITCHELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

NAUTICAL VELOCIPEDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed August 7,1906. Serial No. 329,552.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. MrToHELL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in NauticalVelocipedes, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention is designed to afford a nautical velocipede of light butsubstantial structure, in which the maximum of stability-is attained bymeans which also facilitate the steering of the vehicle.

My invention consists in the specific construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a top view or plan of myimproved nautical velocipede; Fig. 2, a side elevation, and Fig.

3, an elevation of the front float and adjoin-,

ing parts; Fig. 4, an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig.5, is a longitudinal vertical section taken upon plane of line 55 Fig.1; the I gear casing being also shown in section; Fig. 6, is a plan of amodification;-Fig. 7, is a longitudinal section upon plane of line 77Fig. 6. Fig. 8, is a front view of the float shown in Fig. 6.

The floats A, A, may be of any desired form and construction. I preferhowever to make them of elongated form with a central cylindricalportion a, merging into ogival or other convergent shaped ends a, so asto afford for a given size a maximum of buoyancy or displacement with aminimum of resistance in the direction of motion,-that is in linesparallel to the longitudinal axis of each float. They may beadvantageously made hollow, of thin wood, sheet metal, or other suitablematerial, shells of comparatively thin sheet aluminium being preferableas combining lightness withstrength. These floats A, A, are pivotallyconnected to a skeleton superstructure or frame F, of any suitableconstruction, and I do not restrict myself to that shown in thedrawings, which consists in part of a series of tubular members f, andbraces f, preferably of aluminium, arranged somewhat after the manner ofan ordinary cycle frame. The rear floats A, A, are articulated to therear cross bar f, of

- the frame, by means of eye lugs a a and the front or steering float A,is provided with an eye lug a pivoted to and between the bifurcated endof a steering bar S pivotally mounted in a head socket f of the skeletonframe F and provided with a handle bar 8, by which the longitudinal axisof the said steering float A, may be regulated with relation to thecentral vertical plane of the frame,- the rear floats A, A, beingmaintained with their longitudinal axes always parallel to said verticallongitudinal planelof the machine, and the articulation of all three ofthe floats being such that they can move on their pivots onlyvertically. Thus the direction of the longitudinal axis of thefrontgfloat A, will determine and control the direction of motion aswill be readily imderstood.

The vertical di p or oscillationffof the floats is restricted by stops fupon the frame, so that the floats are free to adapt themselves to thewaves within certain limits only, to insure an approximately horizontalbearing and displacement under all conditions. If desired the front orsteering float A, may be provided with a longitudinal fin or keel a, asshown in Figs. 7 and 8, for the pur ose of aiding in steering thevehicle, in whic case said float A, need not necessarily be of thespecial form shown.

My nautical velocipede may be propelled by any desired means, eithermanually, or by the use of a suitable motor. In the drawings I haveshown treadles t, t, on a shaft T supported in bearings on the frame andarranged to be operated by a person resting upon the seat f, on theskeleton frame F,- the shaft T being used to drive either a propeller Por a paddle wheel P, as may be found most expedient; or as is obviousthe shaft T may be driven by a small motor supported upon the frame andarranged and operating in a manner similar to those used upon motorbicycles.

Where a screw propeller P is used, it may be mounted upon a shaft 10,supported in bearings in the frame with its axis parallel to andcoinciding with the vertical longitudinal central plane of the saidframe, the inner end of the shaft p, being provided With a pinion pmeshing with a pinion g, on the lower end of the shaft q, to the upperend of which is secured the pinion p meshing into the driving gear t,upon the power shaft T. These shafts and gears are preferably incased asindicated, in a well known manner.

Where a paddle wheel P, is used in lieu of the screw propeller P, asprocket wheel 75 may be substituted for the driving gear 25,

upon the power shaft T, said sprocket wheel t driving a sprocket chain25 by which motion is transmitted to the sprocket wheel p on the hub p,of the paddle wheel P which is mounted upon the rear cross member fbetween members of the rear fork f, of said,

frame.

By arranging'the floats A, A, A, relatively at the vertices of atriangleI enable the vehicle .to adapt itself readily and quickly to thenulnerous variations in level to which the floats are subjected in use,on the principle that the triangulate bearings are each and all free toindependently conform to the .surface upon which they rest. Thus amaximum of stability and evenness of motion is insured since none of thefloats can leave the water under ordinary conditions of use, and hencethe vehicle is easily controlled and steered. The utilization of theforward float as a means by which'the course of the vehicle may bevaried and governed is also an important and distinguishing feature ofmy construction and arrangement of parts, although as a matter of factif preferred my triangularly arranged floats might all be fixed, orsusceptible of vertical oscillation only, and a rudder be employed tosteer the vehicle.

The use of the three floats being the essential and distinguishingfeature of my invention as hereinbefore set forth, it is obvious that itis practicable to reverse the arrangement of propelling mechanism &c.,with rela tion thereto, as I have found by actual experience in whichcase the steering float A, constitutes the rear and the other two floatsA, A, the front of the vehicle,the results being essentially the same ineither arrange- I ment.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a nautical velocipede, the combination with suitable frame workand propelling mechanism, of three floats triangularly arranged Withrelation to each other, one at the front and the other two at the rearof the vehicle, and each pivoted to the frame by means which admit ofvertical oscillation only, for the purpose described.

2. In a nautical velocipede, the combination with suitable framework andpropelling mechanism, of three floats triangularly arranged withrelation to each other, one at the front and the other two at the rearof the vehicle, each pivoted to the frame by means which admit ofvertical oscillation only, and stops upon the frame for limiting theextent of such verticaloscillation, for the purpose described.

3. In a nautical velocipede, the combination with suitable frame workand propelling mechanism, of three floats triangularly arranged withrelation to each other, one at the front and the other at the rear ofthe vehicle, each float consisting of an elongated hollow shell having acylindrical body with ogival ends and being pivoted to the frame bymeans which admit of vertical oscillation only, and stops upon the framefor limiting the extent of such vertical oscillation, for the purposedescribed.

JOHN H. MITCHELL. Witnesses:

D. W. GARDNER, GEO. WM. MIAT'r.

